India, Afghanistan & Iran's entry into CPEC project will benefit all, says China

New Delhi: China should have an open mind about inviting India, Afghanistan and Iran to join the country's multi-billion dollar CPEC project as it will benefit them all and also help tackle disputes, the official media said on Friday.

The Global Times wrote that despite disputes and difficulties in execution, the project will play an important role in facilitating the development of Pakistan's economy and creating new jobs.

Beijing should invite India, Afghanistan, Iran and other major economies like Russia who may be ideal choices to take part in the CPEC, it wrote.

China and Pakistan held their 6th Joint Cooperation Committee meeting of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project on Thursday in Beijing.

The meeting discussed various issues like the introduction of new projects into the CPEC framework.

Citing a Pakistani media report, the article said that CPEC will help cut unemployment in Pakistan by 2.32 million when the project starts.

The article noted that Beijing should also take steps “to map out concrete measures to expand the project by allowing more people to enjoy its benefits”.

“As the Pakistani government sets up more special economic zones under the CPEC, the project is likely to generate more jobs and integrate the nation into global production chains,” the article observed.

“To broaden the scope of investment, China is expected to have an open mind about inviting third parties to join the CPEC.

“The project could also benefit countries such as Afghanistan, Iran and India as well as other major economies like Russia who may be ideal choices to take part in the CPEC,” the article concluded.